Sharp Insights From the CEO of Dixon Ticonderoga Company

Monthly Archives: June 2014

I take great pride in my role as CEO at Dixon Ticonderoga Company, but there’s another role that I take even greater pride in…being a father to my daughter. She is the light of my world, and everything that I do is for her.

The best thing about having a young daughter is she teaches me something new every day. When thinking about the new products I would like to add to our lineup of Prang Art Supplies, I constantly use her as my inspiration. She is the perfect product tester, and you better believe she is brutally honest with her critiques!

With Father’s Day just a couple of days away, I already have the perfect fun and inexpensive activity planned for us to do together. I’ll grab our Prang Markers, print off this fun mustache craft, and spend some quality time with my favorite little girl. Go to DixonUSA.com to find more crafts for you and your kids to work on together on Father’s Day or any other day.

Father’s Day isn’t just for fathers. It’s also for the kids, the moms, the grandparents, the surrogate parents, the foster parents, and the role models. The list goes on and on! Happy Father’s Day to you and all the people dear to you!

How often does your child come home from school with a new masterpiece? As most parents do, we recognize the creativity of our young Picasso and go about our day as usual.

It’s true, we’re all busy. There is much work to be done and who really has the time to consider the makings of each and every product our children use. But, what if we took the time to learn more about the products, the craftsmanship and the history behind our beloved products?

As the CEO of Dixon Ticonderoga Company, I’m extremely proud of our rich heritage. We’re one of America’s oldest corporations, and can trace our roots back to the American Revolution. However, I’m equally proud of the history of our Prang brand, which is also over 100 years old.

Louis Prang was an American immigrant who truly believed that every child deserved an art education in order to develop their imaginations and freedom of expression. Among his other accomplishments, he was America’s first art educator, and he even invented the Artist’s Color Wheel.

Inspired by the need to teach his young daughter art, he developed non-toxic watercolors, which we continue to produce today with the same care and quality that he intended for his young daughter. Louis Prang’s name is also listed on the Statue of Liberty as an important immigrant who made significant contributions to the United States.

So, the next time my daughter comes home with a refrigerator-worthy piece of art, or when I get a moment to relish in the fact that she has picked up a package of Prang Watercolors, I will say a quick thank you to Louis Prang for creating something that is so important to her, and to me.